Picture this: After an afternoon walk with your dog on an extremely hot summer day, you pass by some sweet pineapples on sale and buy a piece. Surprisingly, your dog wants to have a bite, too, and this leaves you wondering, can dogs eat pineapple?
Dogs can eat pineapples. They’re rich in thiamin, folate, vitamin C, and niacin. Pineapple is safe for dogs but must be given in moderation. So, your large dog should not have more than three small pineapple pieces in a day, while the small ones eat only 1 to 2 pieces. Cooked pineapple is also good for your dog if there are no additives such as garlic and salt.
While pineapple is packed with many beneficial nutrients for your dog, there are precautions to take. This article covers everything you need to know to feed your dog pineapples safely.
Read to the end.
Can Dogs Eat Pineapple?
Yes, it’s safe for your dog to eat pineapples. Though they must be fed to dogs in moderation, pineapples are a great source of vitamin C, potassium, thiamin, niacin, copper, riboflavin, potassium, calcium, zinc, vitamin B6, and iron, among others.
By the way, did you know that you can buy your pet Almo Nature? This dog treat is rich in vitamins, amino acids, and vital minerals. The proteins in Almo Nature HQS are easy to digest and are necessary for the well-being and healthy growth of your adult dogs.
Vitamin C reduces inflammation and strengthens a dog’s immune system. Besides, it also reduces cognitive aging and scavenges life-threatening free radicals in the dog’s body.
Like mushrooms, pineapple is also rich in potassium, which helps in muscle contraction. Potassium is also essential for nerve impulses. Hence, your dog's ability to walk depends on this nutrient.
Similar to strawberries, pineapples are rich in magnesium. So, feeding your dog pineapple could help in healthy growth and strengthening of bones. In addition, magnesium aids in muscle functioning and keeps his heart healthy.
Though pineapples do not have much calcium, the small amount helps grow strong bones and muscles.
To benefit from all these nutrients, your dog should have a small bite of pineapples daily.
Is It Safe for Dogs to Eat Pineapple?
Yes, it’s safe for dogs to eat pineapples, but not all parts are safe. For example, you shouldn’t give your dog the spiny pineapple skin or the central pineapple core. Both are hard and could choke the dog or cause intestinal blockages.
So, always peel the pineapple and cut it into small bite-sized (approximately 1 inch x 1 inch x ¼-inch thick) pieces before feeding your dog.
Like watermelons, pineapples have high sugar and fiber content. Therefore, if dogs eat large quantities of pineapples, they could have diarrhea and constipation, among other issues.
Besides, too much sugar content could also put your dog at risk of diabetes. Pineapple also has high acid content, which is dangerous for the dog’s tooth enamel. Hence, his teeth could quickly decay, making it hard for him to chew hard food.
Frozen pineapple is also safe for dogs but should be given in moderation.
Even then, if you notice any health complications, for example, diarrhea, after your dog eats a small amount of pineapples, quickly call your vet for advice. Also, discontinue feeding him pineapples and consider other fruits for a dog treat, such as blueberries.
However, dogs shouldn’t eat canned pineapple as the syrup has excessive sugar. Pineapple juice is also unhealthy for dogs as it contains too much sugar. Too much sugar could upset a dog’s digestive system. Based on how healthy he is, his overall health could be adversely affected.
Can My Dog Eat Cooked Pineapple?
Cooked pineapple is safe for your dog to eat if you allow it to cool to avoid burning his mouth. Nevertheless, it shouldn’t have salt, garlic, and onions.
Excessive salt isn’t good for dogs, and high garlic and onion contents are toxic.
I would, however, recommend feeding your dog raw, fresh pineapple instead of cooked ones.
How Much Pineapple Can I Give My Dog?
The breed and size of your dog determine how much pineapple to eat in a week. While treats should make up only 10% of your dog's diet, daily calorie intake should never exceed 1%.
A fresh pineapple chunk (average size) also contains about 5 calories. On average, your dog should eat at least 30 calories daily. Larger dogs, for example, German shepherds and golden retrievers, need more calories because they’re more energetic and highly active.
A smaller breed, on the other hand, requires fewer calories. So, while a larger breed, weighing about 55 lbs, requires about 1650 calories, a small breed, weighing about 22 lbs, requires approximately 660 calories daily.
In simpler terms, larger dogs can eat at least 3 to 4 small chunks of pineapple, while smaller breeds can eat at least 1 to 2 small chunks daily.
How Should I Feed Pineapple to My Dog?
There are various ways of preparing your pineapples; for example, you could freeze, dry, or serve them fresh (the best option!).
Fresh Pineapple
Pineapples are best given to dogs fresh. As mentioned in this article, you should safely feed fresh pineapples by removing the spiky skin, which could choke them.
The middle hardcore is not better. These two parts of pineapples could also be hard to digest, causing complications.
Frozen Pineapples
Frozen pineapples are safe for your dog, especially during hot summer days. However, this sweet tropical treat could be hard to chew and become a choking hazard.
Hence, slice frozen pineapples into small sizes so your dog can eat them comfortably without being choked.
Dried Pineapple
First of all, dried pineapple isn’t a good choice for dogs. Firstly, dog owners are unable to control portions when they feed their dogs dried pineapples. Here’s what happens. When you dry the pineapples, their sizes change and become smaller. Consequently, you give an excessive amount of pineapple cubes to your dog.
Since the sugar content remains the same despite the size, giving him excessive pineapple equals an excessive fiber and sugar content.
So, if possible, avoid feeding dogs dried pineapples to avoid going overboard with portion control.
Pineapples are great tropical fruits that dogs eat comfortably. They’re not only safe for them, but they have high nutritional value. Pineapples are rich in many nutrients, such as Vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals.
Even though pineapples, like is the case with all fruits, have many benefits for dogs, they have high natural sugar and fiber content.
This means that pineapple is a healthy treat for dogs, but it could also become a hazard if they overeat it. Your dog could become diabetic or have tooth decay problems due to too much pineapple consumption.
Also, though dried and frozen pineapples are not toxic to dogs, you better feed him raw pineapple. Regardless of the many health benefits of pineapples to dogs, never substitute the recommended dog’s diet with this fruit. It’s a dog treat, not a dog food!
